Trader Joe’s Cookie Butter. Have you heard of it? Cookies in spreadable form…!
Cookie Butter is basically the TJs version of Biscoff spread. It’s pretty sweet and has the consistency of peanut butter, bakes the same as peanut butter, and is as addicting as peanut butter… peanut butter must be jealous. Cookie Butter tastes like the baby of a gingerbread cookie and a graham cracker. Pairs well with pretzel sticks, bananas, toast, apple slices, and spoons. And after several spoonfuls, I tried to collect myself and actually USE it in a recipe.
Let’s talk homemade granola bars. They’re quick, easy, and eating one always makes you feel good! It’s taken me some time to find the perfect granola bar recipe. And I think finally I’ve got it. Chewy, soft, and wholesome. Not to mention– so easy! These taste just like chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Snacktime just got a whole lot sweeter.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Granola Bars
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Yield: 16 bars 1x
- Category: Bars
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Chocolate chip cookie granola bars are chewy, soft, wholesome, and healthy!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup Trader Joe’s Cookie Butter or Biscoff Spread*
- 2 Tablespoons coconut oil
- 1/3 cup honey or maple syrup*
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 8×8 baking pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, melt the cookie butter and coconut oil for about 1 minute in the microwave. Stir until combined and smooth. Melt for longer if needed. In a large bowl, beat the melted cookie butter/oil mixture, honey (or maple syrup if you are using it instead), egg, and vanilla until completely combined. Add in the oats, brown sugar, and salt. Mix well. Slowly stir in chocolate chips. The batter will be sticky.
- Transfer to the prepared baking pan and press down, making sure the surface is flat and even. Bake 21-24 minutes or until set and edges are lightly browned. Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Bars stay fresh at room temperature for up to 7 days. Bars freeze well, up to 2 months.
- Cookie Butter: You can substitute for almond butter or any nut butter of your choice. The bars may not have the same chocolate chip cookie taste though.
- Sweetener: I used sugar free maple syrup, but feel free to use honey or regular maple syrup. I’ve tried it with both and they taste exactly the same.
- Add-Ins: Try using different add-ins, like nuts or dried fruits (up to 2/3 cup total). These granola bars are highly adaptable.
Keywords: chocolate chip cookie granola bars
Reader Questions and Reviews
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These were awesome! Loved them!
These were delicious! My hubby is allergic to nuts and he is now is love with cookie butter! I am freezing them and using them for lunches. Thank you! I look forward to trying more of your delicious recipes =)
I’m so glad you made and loved these, Kim! I have big plans to make them again soon with my new jar of cookie butter. 🙂 Thanks for reporting back!
Making these again! I cut them up and freeze them for school snacks. Did you know there is a shortage of cookie butter at Trader Joe’s? The one near me never has it…an employee says they might get one case a day and it’s gone very quickly. Luckily the one near DH’s work is always stocked…and they have crunchy too! Thanks for your recipes =)
I had no idea there was a shortage, Kim! I’m posting a cookie butter recipe today actually. 🙂
Delicious! I did use about 2:1 ratio with the decadent cookie butter (2) and dark chocolate Peanut butter (1) – to add a bit of protein. I love the soft, chewy texture and the oats. This is keeper! I want to experiment to add protein without ruining the taste.
Everything I have made from your site is so awesome. I am following you now!
Amy D
I really want to make these because they sound AMAZING, but the only ingredient I don’t have easy access to or see myself using much in the near future is coconut oil. I can get Biscoff at Walgreen’s, and pretty much everything else on the recipe is a staple that I have on hand at any given time. If I don’t, getting more isn’t difficult. So…any recommendations on a coconut oil substitute?
In addition, could I use a 9-inch square baking dish instead of an 8-inch? I loaned my 8-inch to a friend a while ago and still haven’t gotten it back yet. 😛
Hey Kristen! You could easily use vegetable oil or canola oil instead of the coconut oil. And a 9-inch square dish would be just fine. The bars will be a bit thinner since the pan is slightly larger.
All I can say is “WOW!” These are even better than the cookie butter blondies, Sally! I used a mix of Biscoff and Speculoos, as I was running low on cookie butter and I substituted canola oil for coconut. Even my husband who isn’t into granola-anything liked them! And our boys are begging for more 🙂
To the one who asked if it’s GF, no it’s not. It’s made from the cookies… You could use a nut butter or a soy butter that’s GF, if there are no issues with nuts or soy. You can google recipes for cookie butter and substitute GF cookies or use the nut-based ones that are already GF. Good luck!
Hey Allyson! I am so happy to hear (read!) that your family loves these granola bars. I feel good making granola bars from scratch – I know exactly what’s going in them! Thanks for reporting back, I appreciate that!
Just made these–so good! I accidentally left out the oil, but they still came out great! I did a combo of chocolate and white chocolate chips. Next time I want to try white and craisins! Thanks for a great recipe!
Emily the white chocolate chips and craisins in these granola bars sounds so good!
These are great ! They really do taste like an oatmeal cookie. And I love how they are so chewy and moist. I’ve made others that turn out hard as rocks and you can barely cut them ! These are delicious for breakfast with hazelnut coffee 🙂
Another winning recipe Sally ! Anxiously awaiting the cookbook I pre-ordered on Amazon.
Jean, love your idea of having these with some hazelnut coffee. I could use that comforting combination this morning. It’s 3 degrees here in Maryland! So happy you are looking forward to my cookbook. You’ll have to let me know what you bake from it when it comes!
Hi these granola bars all sound so amazing. The problem I have is we are ground nut and tree nut free and sesame freevin my coffee shop. I have been asked to sell granola bars ( we make everything on site) but all recipes seem to have these ingredients. I also don’t want to use the cookie dough paste! Am I asking too much? Any ideas please!!!
Thanks so much
Natalie Joel
Sally, what can I do with it if it came out dry? I wasn’t sure what consistency I was looking for when adding oats, and I either added too many or cooked it a moment too long. They taste good but are too crumbly. : (
Hi Jen! A precise 3 cups of oats is what you’ll need. And overbaking them will definitely result in a crumbly texture. Try adding a little more coconut oil, too – that will help moisten things up.
The granola bars were fabulous!! The whole family loved them and I especially loved the alternative for a main dish for lunch. Going to try these with craisins next.
These granola bars are amazing! Thank you so much for a great recipe. I will be making them for a bake sale I am participating in. Any other recommendations that are great for bake sales? Thank you!
Hey Mallory! These brownies would be great at a bake sale: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2014/05/09/peanut-butter-stuffed-brownies/
Or these too: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2013/06/20/smore-cookie-bars/
These were insanely good! I used white chocolate and craisins for my daughter. She and her siblings loved them. They are not going to last long at this house.
Hey there! These look delicious. I am curious, have you made them with honey and how do they taste in comparison to corn syrup. Also, do you keep them at room temperature, or store in the frig? Thanks so much.
Hi Kelsey – the storing info is found under the recipe title. And I use both honey and maple syrup to make these, depending what I have. I can’t really notice a difference in taste.
Hi!! Can you double this recipe for a 9×13 size pan??
Yep! I’m unsure of the bake time.
I made these last week, ate them all, and am making another batch today. These are so insanely good! Thank you Sally for another great recipe!!!
I haven’t tried the (famous) Trader Joe’s cookie butter despite being a regular TJ’s shopper, but I think it’s brilliant that you use it here– what a great alternative to peanut butter for folks who are allergic to nuts! Store-bought granola bars are pretty gross, but these look very good. Definitely a good item to make at home yourself.
Hi, an Aussie here, can I use quick oats?
Thanks for sharing this recipe! It worked well, but I thought I would mention to others that I did not care for the combination of chocolate with the cinnamon flavor from the cookie butter. This is just a personal preference- to me, they clashed. My husband does not agree though 🙂 if I made this again, I would use dried fruit like raisins or cranberries instead of chocolate chips. It’s not bad, but every time I bite into it I am just wishing that they were peanut butter chocolate bars instead 😉
Is it possible to leave out the Cookie butter and just use regular butter
Hi Ashley! I don’t recommend replacing with butter. I recommend replacing with a nut butter like almond or peanut.
Hi Sally! Here your #1 argentinean fan. So… I made these (my version) to add variety to my daughter’s snack time, since she doesn’t love nuts but she would eat anything with choc chips. I used chocolate chunks+chips, sliced almonds, peanut butter.
I hate store bought bars, they are tasteless. But these… we loved. Thank you again!
I’ve made this recipe countless times, and it’s always a win at my house!
★★★★★
Hi Sally,
Would you have any tips for making these a little crispier? Would you recommend just baking longer/higher temp, or would there be any ingredient changes?
Thank you,
Johnny
Hi Johnny! No ingredient changes or oven temperature changes, I would simply extend the bake time by a few minutes.
How many calories are these?
Hi Danielle, I’m unsure of the nutritional info of this recipe, but there are many great online calculators like this one: https://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp
I love these!! We made them pre-baby just as is and that’s the way to go. That being said, now that baby is here, I tried adding flax and brewers yeast to make them lactation bars. They were dry (they aren’t at all with the recipe as is), which I expected. Any suggestions on what I should do to get some moisture back? More coconut oil maybe? They still taste great, just missing the texture of the original!!
★★★★★
Hi Morgan, We are happy you enjoyed these bars! If you try them again you can try decreasing the amount of oats by the amount of other dry ingredients you add, or you can certainly try increasing the oil. We haven’t tested it either way but let us know if you do!